1 Corinthians · Literal Standard Version
1 Corinthians 12 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And concerning the spiritual things, brothers, I do not wish you to be ignorant;
1 Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant.
2 you have known that you were nations, being carried away as you were led to the mute idols;
2 You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.
3 for this reason, I give you to understand that no one, speaking in the Spirit of God, says Jesus [is] accursed, and no one is able to say Jesus [is] LORD, except in the Holy Spirit.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit.
4 And there are diversities of gifts, and the same Spirit;
4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 and there are diversities of ministries, and the same Lord;
5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.
6 and there are diversities of workings, and it is the same God—who is working all in all.
6 There are various kinds of workings, but the same God who works all things in all.
7 And to each has been given the manifestation of the Spirit for profit;
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
8 for to one through the Spirit has been given a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
9 and to another faith in the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings in the same Spirit;
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 and to another in-workings of mighty deeds; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; and to another [various] kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues:
10 and to another workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of languages, and to another the interpretation of languages.
11 and the one and the same Spirit works all these, dividing to each individually as He intends.
11 But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
12 For even as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] the Christ,
12 For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
13 for also in one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether servants or freemen, and all were made to drink one Spirit,
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
14 for also the body is not one member, but many.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot may say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it not, because of this, not of the body?
15 If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body.
16 And if the ear may say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it not, because of this, not of the body?
16 If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body.
17 If the whole body [were] an eye, where the hearing? If the whole hearing, where the smelling?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?
18 And now, God set the members, each one of them in the body, according as He willed,
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.
19 and if all were one member, where [is] the body?
19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 And now, indeed, [are] many members, but one body;
20 But now they are many members, but one body.
21 and an eye is not able to say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
21 The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”
22 But much more the members of the body seeming to be weaker are necessary,
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
23 and those that we think to be less honorable of the body, around these we put more abundant honor, and our unseemly things have more abundant seemliness,
23 Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant modesty,
24 and our seemly things have no need; but God tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to the lacking part,
24 while our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,
25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same anxiety for one another,
25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
26 and whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with [it], or one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with [it];
26 When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 and you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
28 And some, indeed, God set in the Assembly: first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, afterward powers, afterward gifts of healings, helpings, governings, various kinds of tongues.
28 God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.
29 [Are] all apostles? [Are] all prophets? [Are] all teachers? [Are] all powers?
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers?
30 [Do] all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret?
31 And earnestly desire the better gifts; and yet I show to you a far [more] excelling way:
31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 14:1–18; 1 Corinthians 14:37
- 2 1 Peter 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Psalm 115:5; Galatians 4:8; Ephesians 2:11–12
- 3 1 John 4:2–3; Matthew 16:16–17; Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians 3:5; John 13:13
- 4 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:4–6; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:8–11
- 5 Ephesians 4:11–12; Romans 14:8–9; Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Matthew 23:10
- 6 1 Corinthians 3:7; John 5:17; 1 Corinthians 12:11; Hebrews 13:21; Ephesians 4:6
- 7 1 Peter 4:10–11; Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 14:19; 1 Corinthians 14:12; 1 Corinthians 14:17
- 8 Proverbs 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:6–10; Ephesians 1:17–18; 2 Corinthians 8:7; Psalm 143:10
- 9 James 5:14–15; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Hebrews 11:33; Matthew 17:19–20
- 10 1 Corinthians 14:39; 1 John 4:1; Mark 16:17; 1 Corinthians 12:28–30; Joel 2:28
- 11 Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:4; 2 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Corinthians 12:6; Ephesians 4:7
- 12 Romans 12:4–5; Colossians 3:15; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:15–16; Colossians 2:19
- 13 Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 3:11; Galatians 3:28; John 7:37–39; Romans 6:3–6
- 14 1 Corinthians 12:27–28; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Corinthians 12:19
- 15 Judges 9:8–15; 2 Kings 14:9
- 16 Romans 12:3; Philippians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 12:22; Romans 12:10
- 17 Psalm 139:13–16; Psalm 94:9; Proverbs 20:12; 1 Corinthians 12:21; 1 Corinthians 12:29
- 18 1 Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Corinthians 3:5; Luke 12:32
- 20 1 Corinthians 12:14; 1 Corinthians 12:12
- 21 Nehemiah 4:16–21; Ezra 10:1–5; Job 29:11
- 22 Proverbs 14:28; Ecclesiastes 9:14–15; Ecclesiastes 4:9–12; Ecclesiastes 5:9; 2 Corinthians 1:11
- 23 Genesis 3:21
- 24 Genesis 3:11; Genesis 2:25
- 25 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:10–12; John 17:21–26; 2 Corinthians 8:16; 2 Corinthians 7:12
- 26 Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 13:3; 1 Peter 3:8
- 27 Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 5:30; Romans 12:5; Colossians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 12:12
- 28 Ephesians 4:11–13; Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:18; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; 1 Timothy 5:17
- 29 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; 1 Corinthians 12:14–20
- 30 1 Corinthians 12:10
- 31 1 Corinthians 13:1–14:1; 1 Corinthians 14:39; Philippians 3:8; Matthew 5:6; 1 Corinthians 8:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
This whole place is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place. And why do they not happen now?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)
Let us take our body for an example. The head is nothing without the feet, and the feet are nothing without the head; yea, the very smallest members of our body are necessary and useful to the whole body.
For although the Spirit of the Saviour that is in Him "searcheth all things, even the deep things of God," yet as to us "there are diversities of gifts, differences of administrations, and diversities of operations;" and we, while upon the earth, as Paul also declares, "know in part, and prophesy in part." Since, therefore, we know but in part, …
But I am not such a one, "for I am a sinful man." Yet do I also magnify Thy name; and He who hath "overcome the world" maketh intercession to Thee for my sins, accounting me among the "feeble members" of His body, because Thine eyes saw that of him which was imperfect; and in Thy book all shall be …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
"But covet earnestly," saith he, "the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." And when he was to declare this "way," he spoke not of raising the dead, not of cleansing of lepers, not of any other such thing; but in place of all these he set charity.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)